The Explanation of Criminality
From a sociological perspective, explanations for criminal-ity are found in two levels which are the subculture and the The sociological explanations emphasize aspects of societalarrangements that are external to the actor and compelling. Asociological explanation is concerned with how the structure of a society or its institutional practices or its persisting cultural themes affect the conduct of its members. Individualdifferences are denied or ignored, and the explanation of the overall collective behavoir is sought in the patterning ofsocial arrangements that is considered to be both "outside"the actor and "prior to him" (Sampson, 1985). That is, the social patterns of power or of institutions which are held tobe determinative of human action are also seen as having been in existence before any particular actor came on the scene.In lay language, sociological explanations of crime place theblame on something social that is prior to, external to, andcompelling of any particular person. Sociological explanations do not deny the importance ofhuman motivation. However, they locate the source of motivesoutside the individual and in the cultural climate
There is pride in one's craft and pride in one'snerve. Given the low risk of penalty and the high probability of reward, given the absence of pangs of guilt and the presence ofhedonistic preferences, crime is a rational occupational choicefor such individuals (Sampson). The denial is proof of the desire and when put into the present topic, this results in an unlawful act of criminality. It needs no radical vision to agree that the school systems ofWestern societies presently provide poor aprenticeship in adult-hood for many adolescents. Allorganized crime represents such a preference. Merton's application of the idea of anomie to the pro-duction of criminality seems plausible in general, particularyif one avoids translating anomie into "opportunity". It ranges from taking what isn't nailed down in public settings to stealing factory tools and store inventories to cheating on expense accounts to embezzlement. Among the prescriptions is "social action" to disperse therepresentatives of the subculture of violence. These proposals minimize thefacts of subcultural differences and point to the sources ofcriminal motivation in the patterns of power and privilegewithin a society. " In The Social Ecology of Crime, ed. Social conditions may strengthen or weaken the moral tiesthat Durkheim saw as a condition of happiness and healthy survival. Political philosophers, sociologists, and athropologistshave long observed that a condition of social life is that notall things are allowed. " In Advances in Criminological Theory, ed.
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